Phoenix Rising
by TheHungerPains729
Summary: Sequel to The Phoenix. Haymitch, Peeta and Katniss team up to try and take down the Capitol again. This time, not everyone will make it and they find themselves having to deal with moral issues along with the guilt. M for language, violence, possible sexual scenes, self destruction, and other things not otherwise specified, just to be safe. Katmitch
1. A Plan

**A/N:**** Okay so this is the sequel to The Phoenix. I highly recommend you read that story first if you haven't already before you read this one. **

Shout out to my most loyal reviewer Hookedonpeeta. Thank you so so much for reviewing when no one else does.

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Chapter One: In Training

. . .

I had spent a good month training and putting all my effort into getting my strength back. Haymitch and Peeta both took turns helping me as much as they could, and we also spent a few days here and there just trying to have fun and make the best out of our situation. We joked, we drank, we talked and on occasion, we even had our intense fights with one another. The whole time we were doing these things, though, I never stopped expecting Peacekeepers to show up at our door and haul Haymitch back to the Capitol, but they didn't. I could feel that something was wrong in my bones. This wasn't right; the Capitol had to suspect we were planning something against them. The past couple weeks had been the worst for me. I had started screaming in the middle of the night, crying, pleading the Peacekeepers not to take Haymitch from me again.

It was troubling that they hadn't come yet. What were they waiting for? I would've liked for them to come and visit us. I wouldn't hesitate to shoot arrows through all of them. Haymitch was much older than me but I wasn't going to just rely on him to protect me. Sometimes, he needed protection too.

"These meals of squirrel and tea are getting old real fast," Peeta sighed as he set his plate down on the floor where we were eating. "I don't know how you did it all those years, Katniss."

I took a sip of mint tea and heartily ate my last bit of squirrel. Eating on the floor had been a regular routine for us since I started training and hunting again. It was nice to have a routine again.

"I did it all those years because I had to. I didn't have a lifetime of bread to sustain me," I teased lightheartedly, gently elbowing Peeta. I glanced up at Haymitch, recognizing his quietness. "Are you okay?"

"Do you want me to lie or do you want me to say something reassuring?" Haymitch drawled in his drunken tone.

"I want the truth," I responded bitterly, looking down at my tea. I hated when Haymitch talked to me like that. It made me feel small and belittled. It made me feel like I was just a tribute to him like I had once been.

Haymitch sighed and ran his hands through his hair and then looked at me with apologetic Seam eyes. "I'm sorry, Katniss. I just… I'm worried about you. I'm worried about both of you."

"Aw, you're worried about me, Haymitchy? Really?" Peeta joked, smiling playfully at him.

I chuckled softly before pushing Peeta and then looked back at Haymitch. "It's going to be okay. We have a plan that we're going to put into action. We've talked about it at least a thousand times. We've even went over a few times backup plans in case Plan A falls through. I've been teaching Peeta how to use my old crossbow from our Rebellion days. He knows how to shoot a gun; I'd say we're as ready as we're going to be."

Haymitch nodded and let out a breath before he began to eat again, taking occasional sips of whiskey. I watched him and felt my heart ache in my chest. What if we all didn't make it through this? Or what if something horrible happened? No. I pushed the thoughts out of my head. I couldn't let myself be distracted by these thoughts right now; not now when we were so close to taking down the Capitol again. Again; this shouldn't even be happening. There shouldn't even be an 'again.' Everything was just so wrong.

I stood up and took my plate into the kitchen to clean it and I filled the sink with soap and hot water so I could clean the past few days' worth of dishes and silverware. As I let the sink fill, I brought out one of the bottles of wine Haymitch had stashed in the left hand cupboard. I took a sip and let the red wine drown out my thoughts.

"Hey… Katniss?"

I took another drink upon hearing Peeta's voice and then glanced over my shoulder at him. "Yes, Peeta?"

"Do you really think it's a good idea for me to come with you guys?"

I shut the water off once it had filled the sink and then leaned against it before looking at Peeta. "Of course it is. We need you. We can't do this without you, Peeta." I wanted my voice to sound forceful, but it just came out as tired.

"You can, though… and I think you should. Katniss, I'm still not a hundred percent and the last thing you need from me is to try to kill you at the Capitol. If they're as high tech as we think they're becoming, then what if they can reprogram me to attack you at will, without a second thought? What if they totally change me?"

I took a long drink of wine and set it down on the counter before I started to wash the dishes and cups. "You're not a robot, Peeta. They're not going to change you. I really do need you with us. If Haymitch does have to placate the Capitol, then I'd be alone. At least if you came with us, you could protect me some. If I get injured, then that's it for me. I'll probably die of infection until either Haymitch finds me or a Peacekeeper does. It's really important that you're there with us, Peeta."

We stood in a somewhat uncomfortable silence for several minutes as I washed the dishes in between drinks. I was trying my hardest not to let myself get into an apathetic state about our mission to take down the Capitol but the alcohol wasn't helping me. He didn't say anything until I had finished washing and I turned around to face him, my head becoming cloudy and fuzzy.

"I'm just… terrified of hurting you… or worse. I'm on your side, though. I swear I am, Katniss."

"I know you are, Peeta. Don't be scared of hurting me. I'm able to fight back now and I'm not as weak as I once was. I can defend myself now. I need your muscle behind me to help take these people down, once and for all. We can't let anyone live. Do you understand? We can't take a risk. We've talked about this," I slurred.

He nodded knowingly and then searched my now bloodshot eyes. "We're going to kill children? Doesn't that make us just as evil and sadistic as the Capitol?"

It was becoming harder and harder to stay focused and linger on his words but I forced myself to do the best I could. I glanced past Peeta and saw Haymitch passed out by the fire, the empty whiskey bottle in his hand.

"They're Capitol children, and it's not like they're all different ages or anything right now. We know that they're pretty much… just products from the Capitol. The Capitol have most likely brainwashed them to believe that we're the evil ones. Also, they're all around their teens, so it's not like it's an unfair fight against us. The only thing we have going for us is that we've been in two Hunger Games already and they haven't been in any. We need to take them out, and you can't even hesitate for a second, Peeta."

Peeta nodded again and I reached for another drink when I realized that the bottle was empty. I set it back down and rubbed my tired eyes. "I know, I won't. I'm with you in this, Katniss."

His promise made me feel a bit better and even seemed to reassure me in my doubts. A part of me was still worried about his hijack attacks though. I had managed to regain some of my strength but he still had at least a hundred pounds on me. I push these thoughts away, or rather the alcohol I've consumed in less than fifteen minutes does. He hasn't drank anything but his eyes are clouded over by tiredness.

"If you want a bed, I can show you to it…" I'm not even sure what I'm saying anymore and it doesn't sound like it makes sense but he just shrugs and nods in agreement. I clumsily take his hand and lead him towards Haymitch's bedroom. Once we're inside, an uneasy silence falls in the room.

"Well, thanks, Katniss…"

I don't remember moving towards him but suddenly I lean in and my lips meet his. I feel sparks for a few moments and he kisses me back hungrily. We taste nostalgia on each other's tongues until it grows bitter quickly in our mouths. He places his hands gently on my shoulders and reluctantly forces himself away, but not angrily or frustrated. I search his identical grey eyes and all I hear is the sound of our own panting until he speaks again.

"I'm sorry, Katniss," he says in a tone I don't even recognize as his own. "It doesn't feel right anymore, and not just because you've been drinking or… because you're with Haymitch. I don't think we even feel anything for each other anymore. You're my best friend. I don't want a stupid kiss to change that…"

Even though I'm slightly drunk, what he's saying makes sense to me. I nod quickly and smile softly before I peck his cheek and hug him. He's right; it doesn't feel natural anymore. We did used to love each other but things changed that, and it wasn't even for a better or worse thing. It just was what it was. I loved Haymitch and he knew that.

"Me neither, Peeta. You're an incredible person."

He hugs me back and then moves away from me before he stands there awkwardly. "I'll see you in the morning and… we'll talk more about our plan, then?"

"Oh, yeah, of course. Goodnight, Peeta…."

"Goodnight, Katniss."

I quietly close the door so he can undress and sleep in peace before I make my way over to Haymitch and fall to my knees gently by his side, gently caressing his face before I lean down and kiss his lips.

"Mmmm…. you better be Katniss or I might hit you," he smiles teasingly, his hand coming up and embracing my cheek. "Why, Peeta… you have very nice skin for a boy…"

I laugh and then playfully hit his chest as he opens his eyes to look at me, also laughing. I smell whiskey on his breath but it doesn't matter. He's here with me again and I'm never letting him leave again. "I'll let him know you said that…"

"Where is the bread baker anyway?"

I rested my head on his chest to hear his heart beat steadily and soon felt his rough fingers in my hair. "He's sleeping," I barely whisper, becoming increasingly tired myself.

He hugs me close and then brings me up to his face level and kisses my lips passionately, as if we haven't seen each other in years. It was so unexpected that it makes my head spin. I welcome the dizziness, though, and I kiss him back just as passionate. We embrace and his drunken fingers soon manage to fumble my shirt off and quickly start on my pants. I easily take his shirt off before I start kissing every bit of pale skin I can find on his shoulders and chest. It feels like everything is in slow motion as he takes off my underclothes. A slight brush of cold reaches my body until he gently places me in front of the fire with him hovering over me. My fingers caress his scars, his muscles, his creases, and soon our bodies easily mesh together as he begins to make love to me again.

It feels like he's a soldier who just came back from war, and I want to encase this memory of him, of us, in my mind forever until the day I die. I close my eyes as pleasure swims within me and for the first time in months, I'm strong enough to meet his thrusts halfway with my hips, intensifying the pleasure for both of us. He whispers to me in the dim light of the fire and tells me how beautiful he thinks I am, and how I'm the only one he'll ever love. It's only a few moments later when I feel the familiar sensation of ecstasy quake within me against him and I'm trying to be quiet but a small cry of pleasure escapes my lips until it soon subsides and we're left holding each other again, side by side.

I grab the nearest blanket and cover our bodies with it, mostly just not wanting Peeta to see us together like this if he wakes up. I feel relaxed again and it's not long before I fall asleep on his chest, our bodies intertwining like puzzle pieces that fit together perfectly.

**OoOoOoOoOo**

When I wake up the next morning, I'm alone but totally covered up. My first thought is that Haymitch is out wondering around naked somewhere but that thought quickly vanishes when I see his clothes are gone too. I wrap the blanket around my naked self and look around for him. I hear noises coming from Haymitch's room, and then a thunking noise, before I hear a voice.

I move slowly towards the door stealthily and put my ear against it to listen.

"Listen here, we're not going to have enough time to deal with your attempted murders on Katniss so if you do have one, we're going to leave you behind. Is that understood, Mellark?"

I hear muffled sounds and suddenly I can imagine what's going on. I quickly open the door and see Haymitch holding Peeta against the wall stiffly. Anger begins to dwell underneath my skin and suddenly the perfectness of last night disappears. I walk into the room and look from Peeta to my boyfriend.

"What are you doing? Let him go…"

Haymitch still didn't release Peeta but Peeta didn't look too scared. He was mostly just shooting daggers at his ex mentor. "I was just telling Peeta here how our little adventure was going to be."

I moved toward them in the room, never letting go of my blanket. "What have I been telling both of you the whole time this past month? We need to be on the same team if we're going to do this! We can't be at each others' backs all the time! Haymitch, you know that the hijack attacks aren't his fault… you know that it's the Capitol's doing and if the Capitol wants to crush us, we won't have any control over how he acts sometimes."

"Fine but if he does have one –"

"Then we'll deal with it, Haymitch! When the time comes, we'll figure out what to do about it, but we're not leaving him! He wouldn't leave us!"

Haymitch finally let go of Peeta but then zeroed in on me. His disapproving eyes met my own and I felt like my mother was looking down at me like she always did. He shook his head and hunched down to meet my eyes. "Bringing him is going to be a big mistake, sweetheart."

The pet name was no longer a term of endearment now but more like his usual sarcastic remark when he was frustrated. I didn't let myself cower under his gaze. "We need him. If Gale is there, he's going to try to bring me down any way he can… and Peeta can help us against him. He's been in the Games so he's trained in combat but Gale isn't! He won't expect it! We need all the hands we can get right now and unfortunately, that's just the three of us."

Haymitch narrowed his eyes slightly but then stepped back before he walked out of the room and towards the front door.

"Wait! Where are you going?" I started to follow him.

"I need to go for a walk. I'll be back in awhile!" He called out almost angrily behind him as he opened the door.

Something inside me broke and panic rose in my chest again, tightening all my muscles and crushing my lungs. "No! No, you won't! They're going to take you from me again!" I didn't know where it had come from but tears rose in my eyes.

He must have heard the panic in my voice because he stopped and turned around, his entire demeanor changing as he saw the tears in my eyes. His eyes became gentle again and he walked back over to me before he cupped my cheeks, kissed my forehead and then wrapped his arms around me.

"I'll be back. I promise, Katniss. Toughen up, now," he chided playfully as he smiled weakly and kissed my lips.

I nodded and quickly wiped the tears that had fallen from my face and took a few deep breaths to calm myself down. I couldn't break down like this at the Capitol. He was right; I needed to keep it together. He glanced behind me at Peeta almost apologetically before he finally did leave our house, shutting the door behind him.

"He just wants to protect you…"

I hardly expected Peeta to take Haymitch's side but knowing how much I knew that Peeta didn't want to hurt me, I should've assumed. I turned around to face him. "I know, but you're part of me and I'm not leaving you behind to rot here."

He seemed speechless, blushing slightly. I took this opportunity to gather my clothes into the shower and started to wash up. I wasn't surprised when he let himself in, but I didn't really care. If he wanted to keep talking to me, he'd have to do it in here.

"Thank you, Katniss. I mean, really… I treated you like shit when we were living together but no matter how many times I… had an attack, you never abandoned me, even when I abandoned you."

I smiled to myself now, grateful he couldn't see me. "It's nothing, Peeta. How about you get changed and meet me outside for more crossbow practice?"

"Alright. I'll see you out there. Don't take too long or I might get kidnapped by the Capitol," Peeta joked, but I could sense apprehension in his voice.

After I heard him leave, I tried to hurriedly go through my shower routine. Haymitch wasn't here at the moment and my only protection was Peeta. If the Capitol did take him, I'd be easy prey for Gale. I finished about seven minutes later and towel dried my hair before I got dressed in one of the grey jumpsuits my Rebellion team had made for me a couple years ago. It was easy to maneuver in; I decided I would wear it when we went on our mission. I braided my hair on the way outside and was partly relieved to see Peeta still there, using my crossbow on the makeshift targets.

"Ready?"

"Yeah, just been waiting for your slow ass…" Peeta smirked as he handed me my bow that I hunted with so he could use my crossbow.

I gently shoved him before doing a tuck roll off to the side, grabbing one of my arrows and kneeling on the ground before shooting the arrow at one of the targets, a few centimeters away from Peeta's own arrow dead center. We would be ready to go by the time Haymitch came back, if… he came back, that was.

"Nice, Katniss!"

I chuckled and then ran off to the side before grabbing another arrow and shooting it. "Nice, yourself… you've gotten a lot better at aiming, Peeta," I replied sincerely. "You just need to get better at shooting under pressure."

Peeta looked slightly frustrated but he nodded in agreement. "I know. I just… choke when I have to shoot on demand. I'm not used to it. I'm just used to… freaking out and trying to kill you."

I chuckled and then started to count our weapons that we had piled together under a piece of scrap metal. Two guns, two rounds of ammunition each to go with them. One crossbow, my regular hunting bow. That was it. We had enough for two of us. We couldn't just trade off weapons at any given moment. All three of us would have to have a backup weapon in case we ran out of ammunition. My arrows would only last so long, same went for Peeta and the crossbow.

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of someone walking on the gravel stone towards the house. I grabbed my bow and quietly crept towards the opening of the yard. As the footsteps came nearer, I strung my bow quickly, rhythmically.

"Where is everyone?"

I stood up and Peeta and I both aimed our bows but quickly set them back down when we saw it was Haymitch. I let out a breath of relief and then wrapped my arms around him. He gave me a side hug because he was also carrying a bag. I let him go and looked at him questioningly.

"Well it's good to see you two are practicing. Almost thought you were going to take my head off for a second there, though," Haymitch smirked as he set the bag down.

"What's in the bag?"

Haymitch motioned for me to open it so I knelt down and unzipped it. "Thought it wouldn't be a bad idea if we had extra weapons on each of us, and places to put them in."

I took out three belts with holsters for guns and magazine cartridges for them. I dug deeper and then found knives, and several guns, all high tech ones, like the ones we used during the Rebellion. It felt like déjà vu all over again; we were taking down the Capital and killing everyone we had to in the process. The only difference this time was there was no President Snow, and no Prim.

"Where did you get these?" I looked up Haymitch.

"Never you mind where I got them, the important thing is that we got them, Katniss. Okay?" He searched my face, as if sincerely curious if I was going to be okay with his methods or if we were going to have a problem.

I nodded. I didn't really care where he got them from. It had to have been somewhere nearby, though. I trusted him with my life and now was not the time to question where he got guns from. I just hoped it hadn't been off of dead bodies.

"Now we're in business."

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**That's it for now! Please review :)**


	2. Takedown

**A/N: I'm sorry for going AWOL for so long. I'm sure I've probably lost the majority of people who were following this story but if you're still reading and with me, then thank you so much. **

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Chapter Two: Takedown

. . .

We took the still working train to the Capitol, feeling out of place in the always lavished and fast mode of transportation as we wore our familiar rebellion gear and equipment on us, loading our guns expertly and making sure our weapons were in a position where we would be able to easily grab them. I glanced over at Haymitch when I finished and noticed that he hadn't actually put a holster on and didn't have any weapons at all on him.

"Are you planning to charm them with your good looks?" I asked disapprovingly, nodding to his appearance.

Haymitch poured himself a tumbler of whiskey and suddenly I felt transported back in time to the first Hunger Games we were in. He half smirked. "Someone's going to have to help us get inside and behind enemy lines, sweetheart. I've been around the Capitol the longest out of all of us, and I'm probably the most trustworthy person to do it, don't you think?"

I watched him take a drink and shook my head in disbelief. "Do you plan to slur your way into the Capitol?"

Haymitch sighed and knocked the tumbler back, making a face as the alcohol burned his throat. "Just needed a glass of courage, Katniss. I'm not totally invincible by myself. Oh, and I'm sorry if I don't have the confidence and bravery you have by the way."

I swallowed my anger, knowing that he was being sarcastic and his usual alcoholic self. I was feeling anything but bravery and confidence right now; I just knew that this was something that had to get done. It wasn't a manner of knowing I could do it. It was something that I _had_ to do.

"Just ignore him, Katniss," Peeta replied in front of Haymitch as our ex mentor drank. "This might actually work out in our favor for once."

I grabbed my bow and slung it over my shoulder before grabbing the basket that held my silver arrows as well. "The odds are never in our favor, Peeta. How do you figure an intoxicated Haymitch is going to help us? The last thing he should be doing is drinking!"

Peeta gave a hopeful smile and shrugged. "It's not like he'd be acting any differently than the Capitol's already seen him. As far as all the Peacekeepers and the other people in charge are concerned, he's just acting like he normally would. They won't suspect anything."

Haymitch poured himself another half glass of whiskey glanced over at us. "You know that I am in the room, right?"

I contemplated what Peeta said. Maybe he was right. If Haymitch smelled like whiskey, then maybe we'd be able to take down the Capitol more easily. The problem with this seemingly flawless plan was if Haymitch really was drunk, he wouldn't move very fast with us, and he was just going to end up a casuality if the Peacekeepers decided to shoot him when they saw him with us. I only hoped that Peeta and I would be able to move faster than any of them first. I glanced over at Haymitch skeptically and realized there was nothing I could do about any of it now.

"There can't be that many people in charge at the Capitol anymore, right? I mean, how many of them could've actually had the sense to follow Snow?" I asked Peeta.

The look he gave me answered my question quickly. He would know better than anyone after being hijacked. My stomach churned uncomfortably and I bit my lip nervously. I was only there once after they had taken Haymitch and even that hadn't been a pleasant trip. I had only run into a couple Peacekeepers and I had considered myself lucky. This time, they would surely have the place on high security, wouldn't they?

"Now isn't the time to panic, sweetheart," Haymitch already started slurring. "We'll get in, take everyone out, get out, come back home, and there won't be anyone in charge anymore. We'll kill anyone who was on Snow's side and we'll take them out with a vengeance."

Even though it might have been the alcohol talking for him, what Haymitch said made some sense, and it gave me the courage and boost I needed to do this right now. It gave me faith in all of us and most of all, it gave me hope.

"Alright, Haymitch. Let's go over the plan again," Peeta urged him as he set his glass of whiskey on the nearby table.

Our elder member of the team rolled his eyes and stood up carefully. "Alright, well… I'll wander towards any of the Peacekeepers who try to stop us, and then as I'm talking to them, you guys will come up from behind and take them out. At the same time, you'll take anyone out who appears to be doing Snow's dirty work to keep the Capitol alive and repressed. Our goal is easy; we take them out and make sure there's one else that will try to make any more Hunger Games."

Peeta and I nodded intently, feeling the train starting to slow to the platform, our weapons plastered tightly to our bodies as our mutual nervousness increased. When the doors open, we saw the first Peacekeeper peek inside. Obviously not many people have used the train since Snow was taken down. I felt my heart quicken as we stood in the separate room, a wall apart. I grabbed my bow easily and strung it. Just as the door slid open, I let go of the string and watched my first arrow slide quickly and more importantly, silently, into the chest of the Peacekeeper.

"Nice shooting, sweetheart…" Haymitch winked at me.

I couldn't help but give him a small smile, remembering him saying the exact same thing after my judging in the first Hunger Games. I grabbed my arrow out of the now dead Peacekeeper and held it at the ready, in case there were more around the corner. I really only had so many arrows I could afford to lose and didn't want to risk losing any of them unless it was absolutely necessary.

"We don't want to make a lot of noise so if you're going to shoot anyone, Peeta, make sure you muffle it," Haymitch ordered as we stepped off onto the platform and began to make our way through the buildings as quietly as we could.

Peeta nodded when Haymitch looked over at him for confirmation and then hung back a bit from the two of us. I glanced around the corner of the train station and saw two Peacekeepers conversing with each other, their bodies frozen in an authoritative posture. I tried to think about how we were going to take down two Peacekeepers at the same time, then I had an idea. I leaned into Haymitch but made sure Peeta could hear too.

"Haymitch, you go up to them and distract them. Peeta, go behind the one on the left, take your knife and stab him through the chest from behind and at the same time, I'll shoot the one on the right. We'll just take them down that way when there's more than one," I instructed.

My two boys nodded in understanding and I watched as Haymitch sauntered over to the Peackeepers. They stiffened at first upon seeing him but then seemed to relax.

"You're still here? I didn't think there were any Peacekeepers left around here…" Haymitch started to talk to them.

They raised an eyebrow at each other before they looked back at him. I nodded at Peeta, who nodded back, and then quickly went around the wall and as soon as I heard one of them cry out in pain, I strung my bow again and leaned over. As blood covered the left Peacekeepers' uniform, I let the arrow hit the one on the right and saw him go down.

I hurried over to them and grabbed my arrow again before wiping the excess blood on my shirt to half clean it. I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding and then smiled to myself. Peeta and Haymitch smiled back at me as well and we continued with our mission. We made it through one building successfully without taking anyone down and then started towards the main Capitol building. Haymitch walked up to two Peacekeepers that were standing on either side of the door and as one of them appeared to give Haymitch some trouble, putting a firm hand on his chest, Peeta came up from the side and shanked one of them before running around the corner before the other Peacekeeper had time to grab him and I took him out.

We reconvened near the door again and I let the dead Peacekeeper keep the arrow in his body this time, deciding to give the others some warning if anyone happened to stumble upon their body. Seven arrows left.

"So far, so good. There's bound to be more Peacekeepers inside so be on your guard, you two," Haymitch replied, appearing to slowly starting to sober up a bit.

I nodded and the three of us made our way up the stairs, hiding around corners and taking them out, every one we came across. I realized we were probably leaving a trail of dead bodies behind us we knew it was important that we did it so there was no one left to be in authority. We had taken out most of them by the time we came to President Snow's old office. It wasn't until then when I realized that Peeta wasn't with us anymore. I looked around frantically, my heart starting to race and I looked at Haymitch who hadn't seemed to notice.

"Where the hell is Peeta?"

"What?" Haymitch asked angrily before he also looked around. "Damn it! Where did he go? Wasn't he right behind us a minute ago?"

My worry was outweighing my fear and almost as if he could read my mind, I heard a familiar voice come from inside one of the rooms in the hallway.

"I told you not to get in my way, Katniss! I warned you something bad would happen if you did!" A voice yelled.

I swallowed hard as I heard Gale's voice. My heart hammered in my head and I looked over at Haymitch for reassurance he didn't give. He wasn't armed at all so it seemed like it was up to his talking skills and my own weapons.

"Do you have Peeta, Gale? Give him back to us!"

Gale's laughter erupted and echoed off the walls. He must have done something to Peeta because then I heard muffled struggling coming from the room. His voice then turned serious. "Put down your weapons and I'll give him back! It's not even him I want!"

"Damn it, Gale! Don't do anything stupid," I barked at him, feeling my anger quickly outweigh my worry now. "We'll do whatever you want, but don't hurt him!"

"It's kinda funny you're worrying for your baker boy when your real lover boy is your own mentor," Gale answered back as he opened the door with his hands around Peeta's neck just to show me how easily he could break his neck. "It was never me, was it, Catnip? Never me! I could never compete with both of them!"

I felt my stomach twist like my internally organs were being wrapped around steel knives. I glanced over at Haymitch who seemed to grasp the seriousness of the situation and was looking nervous as he walked next to me, a few feet away from both Peeta and Gale. He stood in front of me, almost protectively, his hands up to show he didn't have any weapons.

"Come on now, Gale… you don't want to do this. Just let go of him," Haymitch attempted to persuade him.

Gale tightened his grasp on Peeta as he eyed me and saw how heavily armed I was. He gave me a cold, threatening look but his eyes looked crazy. "Drop your weapons I said! You're no exception, Katniss! I'll let go of him when you do that!"

I felt hesitant doing this, knowing that this might not end well. This would end up with at least one of us dying, I could sense it. Haymitch nodded at me, silently telling me to do what Gale wanted. As I laid down my bow and arrows on the floor behind me, Gale also nodded towards my hoister where my gun was kept. I took it off and then remembered about the knife that I had sheathed in the back of my pants, covered up by my shirts. I slowly walked over to my best friend and my ex friend and held my own hands up.

"Come on, Gale. I put all my weapons down. Please, let Peeta go now," I almost begged.

Gale seemed unsure at first, looking from me to Haymitch, and then back to me. Suddenly, he shoved Peeta down in front of Haymitch and grabbed my arm before I had time to react. He pulled me into the room and locked the door in mere seconds. I hadn't known what had happened before it was too late.

"NO! Gale, let her go! We can help you!" I heard Haymitch yell on the other side of the door.

I watched as my old hunting partner started to pace in the room and occasionally glanced over at me. I remembered the last time I was alone with Gale and my heart sank, along with all my hopes and my faith. I was locked inside the room with a rapist who had been so brainwashed that he actually was still on board with the Hunger Games. I looked over at him and saw his nervousness increase with every minute that went by. I wasn't sure how this was going to end now. The tables had turned and now I was Gale's hostage.


End file.
